Out of American graphic novel series published as Manga, I recommend...

Bizenghast- This series is AMAZING! It's about a young girl named Dinah who spends her nights getting ghosts to cross over in various surreal dream-worlds.

I Luv Halloween- Dark, sick, gory humor! It's about a group of sociopathic trick-or-treaters that do horrific things to obtain candy. Most of the characters are usually dead by the end of each volume (and back the next). I love it!

KanyonKreist

Apr 16th, 2009 01:55 AM

I stopped reading Iron Fist when Fraction and Brubaker left. I know it's not fair to Dwayne Scwhatever, their successive writer, but I'd read his work and I just didn't see any chance that the series would remain at that level of quality. I mean, how could it?

DarkfireTaimatsu

Apr 16th, 2009 01:56 AM

Hear, hear. I just picked up the latest JSA trade today, in fact. Part 3 of Thy Kingdom Come.

Relaxing Dragon

Apr 16th, 2009 02:36 AM

I was wondering where 100 Bullets was, but then I remembered that it just recently finished up its run. And I'm only at issue 88, which bothers me :/

Copper

Apr 16th, 2009 03:03 AM

I periodically read Fables, myself...usually when the TPB come out and I have an hour lunch at work, heh. The others, not so much, even if I am an X-men and Buffy fangirl. Maybe I'll have to give Astonishing a second look. And as for the Buffy, I will admit to not recognizing Xander at first, but it was a pleasant surprise.

And to Tetsu: Check out Les Bijioux (I have a feeling I'm butchering the spelling) if you haven't already. It's the same artist as Tarot Cafe (which is a fab book, too!) I Luv Halloween is just...wrong on so many levels (but I find myself flipping through it anyway.) and Bizenghast needs to come out quicker, dammit!

Mockery

Apr 16th, 2009 03:40 AM

Pox, believe me when I say that, if he never bought any comics, Proto could be a retired man with an island of his own by now.

hisholiness

Apr 16th, 2009 04:47 AM

Thanks for the list of comics Proto. I've been meaning to get back into comics and now i've got somewhere to start. I've been wondering about The Walking Dead comic. If anyone has any opinions about it i'd like to read them. Looks interesting. Thanks again Proto!

MallardMan

Apr 16th, 2009 05:30 AM

Good list. Just to throw a few more into the list...

Both Green Lantern and Green Lantern Corps have been pretty outstanding for the past couple years.

Marvel's recently given pretty much all of their cosmic guys to Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning, and they've been doing some great stuff, particularly with Guardians of the Galaxy and Nova. They've actually made Nova into an interesting character - a feat by any stretch of the imagination.

One more to throw in there: Jonah Hex. I started getting into the title to just try and get away from all the Marvel "Let's jump into the next crossover!!!" and DC's "Sure, Grant - you just do your thing" garbaget and was surprised to find a really dark and interesting book about a character who's probably doing what he's doing just to get the shit kicked out of himself. Jonah's an ugly son of a bitch in the late 19th century, wandering the west and getting his ass into trouble. No super powers, no magic, no fantasy. Just a guy with a ridiculously scarred face getting into trouble with guns and dames.

MallardMan

Apr 16th, 2009 05:43 AM

One more that I forgot to mention: Booster Gold. The book is pretty much as close to actual super-hero fun as you can get in comics these days, now that we're well and deep into another turn on the old "grim and gritty". Booster Gold has a bit of continuity to it, but the book is about a time traveling corporate super-hero from the 25th century who has now decided to grow up a little and help make sure that time doesn't get screwed up. Pretty standard, really.

Nick

Apr 16th, 2009 07:39 AM

While I absolutely love comics, I prefer trade paper backs and graphic novels to monthly comics. I just enjoy reading the whole story without having to wait.

Icculus

Apr 16th, 2009 10:55 AM

I'm with nick on that one...It also keeps me from falling into the trap of buying them twice.

Poxpower

Apr 16th, 2009 11:49 AM

Warning to everyone: DO NOT BUY HEAVY METAL MAGAZINE.
Unless you like paintings of hot women doing things like riding motorcycles, cutting off the heads of ogres and kissing lesbian cyborgs.

The stories are shit though.

Angryhydralisk

Apr 16th, 2009 11:55 AM

I'd say this is a pretty insightful article here. Iron Fist and Buffy probably the most unexpected thing to look into.

I'm not much of a comic fan but if I ever got inclined I'd check these out.

Ant10708

Apr 16th, 2009 02:31 PM

I agree with Nick and it makes it easier then buying a comic once a month

Relaxing Dragon

Apr 16th, 2009 02:49 PM

hisholiness: I've been reading The Walking Dead for a while now, and I definitely give it my endorsement. It's a damn fine zombie read, great characters and art, and an engrossing story. You'll definitely want to check it out.

Commanderraf

Apr 16th, 2009 02:59 PM

I've been reading about Captain America lately (not the comics themselves, but different webpages and books on the subject) and I was amazed that the same character that was created in the World War II to promote propaganda WAS the modern day Captain America with no reboots or alternate universes; just by using some imagination and a big chunck of ice. I was thinking of picking up a Captain America book, but now with this article, I have DECIDED to pick up a Captain America book.

Thanks Proto. I hope the comic industry gives you some kind of commision for this and the Longbox entries (I've also been tempted to buy the "One More/Brand New Day" and the "All Star Batman and Robin" just to show them to everybody I know and let them know how hilarious they are. Without evidence, they would'nt believe me).